19/03 • ENERGY CRISIS

The ongoing war between the US, Israel and Iran is disrupting global humanitarian systems — with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a critical pressure point.

Attacks on shipping in the Strait has meant an effective halt in traffic through a route that normally carries around 20% of the world’s oil supply. Tanker movement has dropped sharply, with vessels stranded or avoiding the area due to safety risks.

This disruption has driven up fuel prices and shipping costs globally, with ripple effects far beyond the Middle East. Aid agencies warn that rising transport costs and supply chain breakdowns are slowing or limiting deliveries of food, medicine and emergency relief to vulnerable regions . A Council on Foreign Relations analysis notes that the war is “choking off disaster relief supply chains” and worsening existing humanitarian crises".

The impact is being felt most sharply in places already under strain — including parts of sub-Saharan Africa and conflict-affected regions — where aid delivery depends heavily on stable fuel prices and reliable shipping routes.

While military actions and geopolitical tensions dominate headlines, the consequences are being carried by communities far removed from the conflict itself — where delays in aid, rising food costs and limited access to essential supplies can quickly become life-threatening.

The humanitarian impact is both immediate and far-reaching:

• Aid becomes more expensive to deliver: Humanitarian agencies rely heavily on fuel for trucks, planes and ships. As oil prices rise, the cost of delivering food, medicine and emergency supplies increases, forcing organisations to scale back operations or reach fewer people.
  
  
• Food prices rise in vulnerable regions: Higher fuel costs ripple through global supply chains, increasing the price of staple foods. In countries already facing food insecurity, this can push basic nutrition out of reach for millions.
  
  
• Delays in life-saving assistance: Disruptions to shipping routes mean aid supplies take longer to arrive. In emergencies — whether famine, conflict or natural disaster — delays of even days can have life-threatening consequences.
  
  
• Strain on already fragile systems: Many humanitarian responses operate on tight budgets and fragile logistics. Sudden increases in transport and energy costs can overwhelm these systems, reducing their ability to respond to multiple crises at once.

Global energy isn’t just about the cost of petrol. Access to energy underpins the systems that keep people alive — food production, clean water, and essential healthcare. When those systems are disrupted, it is the most vulnerable who suffer first. These are not luxuries, but basic human needs that speak to the dignity and rights of every person.

PRAYER POINTS:

• We pray for those whose survival depends on humanitarian aid, that essential supplies would continue to reach them despite rising costs and disruption.
  
  
• We pray for resilience in global supply systems, that safe passage through key routes like the Strait of Hormuz would be restored.
  
  
• We pray for wisdom among global leaders, that decisions made in conflict would account for their impact on the world’s most vulnerable people.

Click here for a printable version of Pray the News.